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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The fort of La Prée was built in 1626 by order of Toiras, under the direction of engineers Pierre de Conty d'Argencour and Le Camus, on the north coast of the island of Ré, between Rivedoux-Plage and La Flotte. Designed as a star with four bastions, two of which turned towards the sea, it was connected by semi-circle courtyards and protected by an outer enclosure. Its construction used materials from the ruins of Notre-Dame de Sainte-Marie-des-Châteliers Abbey and stones from the quarries of Crazannes. This fort played a key role in 1627 during the English landing of the Duke of Buckingham, allowing French troops to drive the English out of the island after a night landing.

The fort, which had been criticized since 1658 for its small size (400 men) and lack of drinking water, was modified by order of Colbert in 1664 and strengthened in 1672. Vauban, in 1684, razed the external fortifications, retaining only the original star, the port and the maritime rampart. Rearmed in 1793 and modified in 1875, he was finally downgraded in 1934. During the Second World War, the German army installed a blockhouse in the framework of the Atlantic Wall, renaming Berta battery.

After the war, the fort will house a children's holiday centre (1950-1980), run by the PEP de l'Eure, before being transferred to CNOSAP, which restored it between 1981 and 1987, and until 2011 by voluntary construction sites. Ranked a historic monument in 2008, it is visited today from April to September, with summer entertainment, and can be privatized for events.

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